The film director spoke amid a controversy about a Belgian university’s decision to give him a special doctorate.

The Brussels ULB university honoured British director Ken Loach with a special doctorate despite veiled criticism from Belgium’s prime minister Charles Michel and outspoken rebukes from Jewish organisations about anti-Semitism allegations.

The Brussels ULB university honoured British director Ken Loach with a special doctorate despite veiled criticism from Belgium’s prime minister Charles Michel and outspoken rebukes from Jewish organisations about anti-Semitism allegations.

Loach, who is known for his strong defence of the Palestine cause, is often critical of the Israeli government.

Still, he denied again on Thursday that he is anti-Semitic.

KL* Furthermore, all my life, I have sided with those who are persecuted and marginalized and depicting me as anti-Semitic simply because I am adding my voice to those who denounce the plight of the Palestinians is grotesque. - Full Press release attached 2/2 pic.twitter.com/Hn2h8R265B

The president of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, was more emphatic, saying that the honorary doctorate for Loach “can only be seen as an endorsement of someone who has played fast and loose with the historical record to the point of trivialising the Holocaust”.

Loach, 81, has strongly denied he ever questioned or trivialised the Holocaust.

A committed leftist, Loach said: “I know very well the history of Holocaust denial.

“It is the province of the far right, and I have nothing to do with that.